6 • The Southwest Portland Post
Heritage Trees
(Continued from Page 1)
the summer, property owners are
notified.
“Trees are presented to the Urban
Forestry Commission in the fall,”
Dugan continued. “The following
spring, trees are presented to city
council for review and approval.”
Certification of a heritage tree
binds all successors and heirs to
prohibit cutting the tree down. The
tree code has been updated and does
allow for the cutting of dead, dying,
or dangerous nuisance species.
These include holly, tree-of-heaven,
and laurel to name a few.
In addition to stewards, Dugan
stressed that tree team members are
needed in Multnomah Village area.
These quarterly meetings involve a
whole day which includes breakfast
and lunch, planting low-cost trees,
ivy removal, and a workshop on how
Capitol Highway
(Continued from Page 5)
clogged roof gutters are worse.”
Vegetation maintenance is the city’s
role and Kurtz assured everyone they
try to stay on top of it.
“But the plant liners get clogged,”
another person stated. “How often do
these get cleaned?”
“There’s not much clogging,” Kurtz
said. “Before 2008, we had bad filter
fabric and got rid of it. It’s much better
now.”
Kurtz said both environmental
services and transportation bureaus
are now collaborating with each
other in a formal structure. A summit
was held last year which was well
attended and which the Post covered.
“Environmental services will
be contributing an undetermined
amount of funds,” Kurtz said. “The
highway will be funded in part by
the gasoline tax, and hopefully state
funds.”
Continuous sidewalk planned for
east side of Capitol Highway
Steve Szigethy, Portland Bureau
of Transportation project manager,
has been assigned the roadway
portion of this project. He addressed
concerns about the transportation
NEWS
March 2017
In her land use report, Leslie
Hammond, vice-chair, went over
written minutes of a recent Portland
city council meeting to see if the
council portrayed infill issues
correctly. She compared the minutes
to the document the city had drafted
and seemed to differ.
According to Hammond,
commissioners Nick Fish and
Amanda Fritz have said they have
some reservations about the Portland
Comprehensive Plan amendment for
infill and middle housing.
“We have a chance to get our
foot in the door,” Hammond said.
“We need alternatives. The city is
being bombarded by builders and
legislators advocating for doing
away with single family homes. I’m
feeling optimistic. We need to make a
clear case of what we want and what
we don’t want.”
Chair Martie Sucec added,
“There are anywhere from 40,000
– 100,000 empty lots to develop in
the Portland area,” “(Newly-elected)
Commissioner Chloe Eudaly is not
a homeowner, she is a renter, and
thus doesn’t fully understand what
policies can do to homeowners.”
Sucec said she was referring to
the support Eudaly may or may not
have for the Comprehensive Plan.
“She was elected for all, not just
renters,” Sucec said.
One Post reader email asked
whether the Stop Rezoning lawn
signs had any effect. Land use
chair Jim Peterson responded that
the signs got the word out to the
neighborhood that the city was
changing the zoning of the single-
family homes in the neighborhood
to multi-family.
“It also is sending a message
to the city,” said Peterson. “The
neighborhood association has a
draft objection for Task 4 of the 2035
Comprehensive Plan on the Middle
Housing Amendment.”
According to Peterson, “The
objection will be filed after the city
sends out the notice.
“ H o p e f u l l y, t h e O r e g o n
Department of Land Conservation
and Development rules in favor of
the MNA objection. The fight for
saving a thousand single-family
homes in the city is far from over,”
Peterson said. “The signs have made
a difference.”
The next Multnomah Neighborhood
Association is scheduled for Tuesday,
March 14, from 7–9 p.m., in Room 30
at the Multnomah Arts Center. For more
information on all tree programs, please
call 503-823-TREE or go to www.
portlandoregon.gov/parks/45124.
bureau not getting too far ahead of
environmental services.
“After many online comments,
letters, advisory meetings, a walking
tour last July, and a smaller walk
in October,” Szigethy began, “both
bureaus have taken in information
to address most issues.”
The main takeaways include
sidewalks and bike lanes, transitions
from side streets, and mitigating
impacts especially with people
living along the the road.
“We know you all want to keep
a rural feel to the area,” Szigethy
said. “There are concerns about
mixed bicycle/pedestrian trails.
Delineations between other parts
of the bike lanes are requested and
protection between cars and bikes
is desired.”
According to Szigethy, one thing
is certain: there will be a continuous
sidewalk on the east side of Capitol
Highway. Szigethy explained that
the west side multi-use path will
still allow for 12- foot driving lanes.
Szigethy shared a short compilation
of some of the main concepts.
Narrow planters will be located in
some portions of the road between
the bike lanes. Hardscape will be
constructed for waste bins and
mailboxes. There will also be some
narrower buffers.
Three locations will most likely
have water quality facilities where
water can be filtered. There will be
constrained portions of the road
with little to work with close to
property lines. Raised pathways will
be designed at these locations.
“We’re working closely with
[Portland General Electric] to
relocate or work around some power
poles,” Szigethy explained. “Survey
crews will be out in the coming
month tallying trees and poles.”
With some sloped areas, walkways
will be designed higher or lower
than the slope. When it comes to bus
stops, Szigethy explained that there
is no room for a traditional shelter.
“There will be fewer bus stops
but they will be improved with
crosswalks,” Szigethy continued.
On-street parking will be in limited
locations where properties now have
no off-street parking.
Ground breaking is scheduled
for 2019 and construction will last
approximately one year. There will
be limited road closures and some
possible night work as needed.
Szigethy stated that city budget
hearings will be held in May and the
final budget approved by June. All
are open to the public.
Capitol Highway Subcommittee
chair Chris Lyons announced that
the project was a major priority
of the city of Portland’s 2017 state
legislative agenda.
According to a report from the
Office of Government Relations,
“State assistance is needed to
complete critical safety infrastructure
improvements on Southwest Capitol
Highway and connecting with state
facilities is of pressing importance.”
A Fix Our Streets open house
has been scheduled for Thursday,
March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the
Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW
Capitol Highway. It will cover
a variety of Southwest Portland
transportation projects including
Capitol Highway improvement
plans.
Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who
has been reassigned to the Bureau of
Transportation, is scheduled to be
in attendance. The transportation
bureau plans to share an aerial map
at the event after a brief presentation.
For road maintenance issues, the
number to call is (503) 823-1700. For
green street routine maintenance, call
(503) 823-1424. For more information
on the Capitol Highway project, please
contact Chris Lyons at chrislyons7@
yahoo.com.
to select a tree for the neighborhood.
Neighborhood questions
planning for infill and middle
housing
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Excellent SW Portland references